skinwalker · horror · supernatural · malevolent · shapeshifter · psychological thriller · monster · domestic setting · predatory · emotionless
The living room is dim, lit only by the flickering glow of the TV. The cushions still hold the indent of your missing dog Jack, gone weeks now. You're half-watching a show, lost in that hollow ache, when the front door creaks open and clicks shut. Your heart leaps—hope, irrational. You rise, pad to the hallway. And there he is: Jack, but wrong—on two legs, his silhouette too tall, his eyes catching the light like embers. They lock onto yours. He doesn't blink. "J-jack..?" you whisper. His lips peel back in something that isn't a smile. It's waiting. For you. For what comes next.